Ten reasons why the Saginaw City Hall needs renovation, restoration

For the past few months, I have listened to and read many of the comments surrounding the proposed renovation, restoration, and preservation of the Saginaw City Hall building.

Fortunately, most of them have been rational and in most cases very supportive of the plan and the need to levy approximately $20 dollars annually from the average value of property owned in the city for the next 16 years, to fund the project. After all, we are talking about a 75-year-old building that has long surpassed its expected useful life span, and for numerous and valid reasons, now must undergo a major renovation if it is to remain usable as Saginaw’s city hall.

Unfortunately, some of the comments have been quite irrational, without fact and based upon nothing more than an apparent deeply held disdain for government, governmental leaders, and the difficult sustainability decisions that must be made given the rising costs and declining revenues associated with managing cities and providing services in these tough economic times.

I am optimistic that come Nov. 8, voters in the City of Saginaw will take the time to review the facts and make an informed decision to fund the cost for restoring their historic city hall to the functionally safe, architecturally aesthetic, and operationally cost efficient building it was when it was built back in 1935. With apologies to David Letterman, the Top Ten facts surrounding the need for renovating city hall are:

1. Rising Cost — The cost to maintain the 75 year-old structure is increasing exponentially because the rate of deterioration is increasing every year. The 2012 proposed $7 million bond issue is a not-to-exceed- number, and is more than double the budget of the proposed 2001 renovation project that was not funded. Failure to resolve the building’s issues immediately will only result in a more costly and extensive renovation project later.

2. Building Maintenance - The current labor cost related to unscheduled building repairs, roof leaks, plumbing repairs or sealing window drafts is estimated to be $65K to $75K per year. With a reduced labor force, it is difficult to dedicate so much time to one building. Costs associated with energy improvements and mold remediation work alone completed between 2009 and 2011 is $173,762.

3. Services - To continue to provide services as efficiently as possible, the City is obligated to provide a healthy and safe environment for citizens and employees. Service delivery will be interrupted in the event that the city must relocate

departments and operations off-site to other facilities if an emergency or catastrophic situation is encountered. A typical municipal building will have a lifespan of 30 to 50 years before major renovations will need to be completed. Saginaw’s City Hall has exceeded its useful lifespan by 30 years or more.

4. Renovate vs. New Build - The issue of renovating versus building new was closely reviewed and the renovation of the existing building proved to be the best viable option. The cost to renovate, restore and preserve the existing building is less than building new either on the same site or at another site for various reasons.

Renovating city hall would provide approximately 10,000 additional square feet of space compared to a new facility. The extra space, once renovated, could be used as community or public space at cost. In addition, vacating the existing building would require continuous maintenance since the City would still own the property until a suitable buyer could be found that would be willing to take on the building and its problems. While considering demolition as an option, it would cost about $300,000 for site remediation and demolition and the City would lose a grand historic building.

5. Water Infiltration - Each rain event increases the amount of water infiltrating the building and as the water saturates the building material, it loses its structural integrity creating an unsafe environment. Protecting our city hall from the elements has become a critical issue that must be continually addressed as city government occupies the building that has been the traditional site of Saginaw’s city hall for 118 years.

6. Occupational safety and health and liability - The safety, health and welfare of the citizens and employees of the City of Saginaw are paramount to the function of government. Due to the condition of the building and the age of the electrical,

mechanical and plumbing, citizens and staff are exposed to risk for injury from electric shock, falling plaster, poor air quality, asbestos exposure, and slipping or falling.

7. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) issues and compliance - The ADA dictates standards that must be achieved in order to reasonably accommodate persons with disabilities. City hall falls short in meeting compliance for both employees and visitors to the building in regard to issues such as door widths, door hardware, hallway widths, threshold clearances, ingress/egress, restroom fixtures and accommodations. The outdated elevator must be updated for compliance.

8. Building Violations - Inspections performed by MIOSHA, the Fire Marshal and City Building Inspectors, revealed the following violations and citations: Poor air quality, poor ventilation, exposed wiring, blocked electric panels, non-working emergency lighting, and widespread use of chains of extension cords in lieu of permanent wiring, overloaded circuits, corroding piping, loose handrails and no fire suppression system.

10. Efficiency - The building lacks proper efficiency in the areas of heating and cooling, electric, and water consumption. Energy efficient windows, lighting, roofing, doors, heating, ventilating, air conditioning and plumbing fixtures will decrease the cost to operate city hall. Better coordination of public access to service delivery areas is needed, for better customer service.

There are many issues regarding the condition of Saginaw’s City Hall that must be addressed. The recommendation to renovate the existing city hall is the culmination of many hours of review, assessment and consultation with professional building consultants, engineers, state regulatory agencies, and our own very competent staff. This is not a quick-fix or band-aid approach to problem solving. The problems will not go away without the concurrence and support of the public instilling a renewed sense of pride in its most prominent building.